All right, I'm coming out. Any man I see out there, I'm gonna shoot him. Any s******h takes a shot at me, I'm not only gonna kill him, but I'm gonna kill his wife, all his friends, and burn his d**n house down.

I love this thread! The humor and candor in the discussion is great. Though I am just catching up, I noted some despondent postings. I do not believe it is a put down thread at all, simply rather, a realistic if not humorous perspective on new versus old or change and transformation.

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However, the mentality (from many vintage owners) that new purchasers are all snobby elitist that don't know what a crescent wrench is....is disappointing.

You rich yungins go right ahead and by that new Land Yacht and park it next to mine. I will be more than happy to swoon over it and we can have a blast adjusting the powered table height and walking on the teak! My dream rig is my made up 5th wheel (five per side) 45' Airstream Palisade model with gull wing doors and porch! (see pic if still there!)

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I truly believe that the highest quality Airstream you can buy is not an older one or a newer one. It's a trailer that has been owned, sorted and - wait for it - upgraded (!) by an owner who is a true enthusiast.

Sometimes upgrading is inevitable. The plastic gets old and brittle so you have to buy new! But often the plastic is thinner or well, just not the same, still, it has to be replaced or redesigned better.

BTW, I get wrench names mixed up but at least I know there are different kinds of wrenches or is it wenches?

(Just remember, In the real Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's slippers were SILVER!)

Great thread.... I hope we all have a tongue in cheek attitude....LOL
My theory is that some of us are so frightened about having problems we like to get new, and take the huge hit if we sell it quickly. Hopefully, I will keep my new one for several years....

My truck has over 70,000 miles and new is not better or at least new would require all the modifications to be done again....like air springs, all the mounts inside, generator mount, etc., plus a diesel requires so darn many miles to finally get broken in....

And the craftsmanship..... The new Airstreams have a very real fit and finish issue, apparently the result of a rush to get them out the door. However, for those who like to add the final touch, like me, some of the little glitches can be fixed and this gives the trailer a more of a personal feel. Of course all Airstreams have distinct personalities, and this is what sets them apart from.other trailers which appear mundane next to one of our "silver bullets". Maybe that is why other trailer folks think we are all folks with our nose in the air.... More LOL

Perhaps we all need to realize that Airstream's 50 units per week current build goal is small potatoes numbers when compared to that many or more cars per hour. Thus the total absolute numbers of Airstreams ever built would not be large number.

There have been quite a few photos in this forum of tree crushed Airstreams and lonely abandoned ones in the hinterlands.

The Airstream aluminum shape has been the constant design over the years with excursions into motor homes and fifth wheels along the way.

I really enjoy seeing the vintage units as they preserve the history of the brand. Many of the creative modifications done by their owners over the years are masterpieces in both metal and wood working skills. Since I personally lack those talents, I can appreciate those folks that do have them and used them to the best of their abilities.

I do know how to do basic repairs with basic tools. Before creating a mess, I read here all the time to see how others have done various repairs to gain insight on whether that is a project I might be able to do myself.

I think an open mind and willingness to ask questions and share my experience are the keys to get along around here and on the road.

A sign yesterday I read sums it up pretty well -

Everyone is capable of generating joy
Some by walking into the room
And some by walking out....

Learning to do basic repairs comes with time and patience. Don't be afraid ti try. If it is broken, trying to repair it probably won't make it worse, and you may surprise yourself and get it fixed! Think through it. You may discover you can. Jim

Learning to do basic repairs comes with time and patience. Don't be afraid ti try. If it is broken, trying to repair it probably won't make it worse, and you may surprise yourself and get it fixed! Think through it. You may discover you can. Jim

That's my approach - I figure I'll get it more and more - I'm age 31 - by the time I retire I'll need and want to work on my then vintage unit

__________________“The atoms of our bodies are traceable to stars that manufactured them...We are not figuratively, but literally stardust.”

Learning to do basic repairs comes with time and patience. Don't be afraid ti try. If it is broken, trying to repair it probably won't make it worse, and you may surprise yourself and get it fixed! Think through it. You may discover you can. Jim

EXACTLY! I had horrible corrosion on my trailer at the belt line and around the stove vent. I had to do something about it. I used a three layer sealing process AFTER using a sanding wheel to remove the surface mess. I then added the belt line trim but was not sure how to fix the stove vent area as it was exposed and ugly. People who saw it at a rally said it looked not so good. Here is what I ended up doing. I am please with it. I had never riveted or worked with aluminum:

I started seriously looking for a Sprinter based touring van last year. Dealer had Interstate, roadtrek and Leisure vans on the floor for an easy comparison. Fit and finish on the Leisure van was far superior to the others and was less money. After owning the Leisure van Unity for 11months with six trips (two towing a car trailer) and almost 10,000 miles, it is the first RV I've ever owned that has yet to go back to the dealer for a fix. Quote frankly, I looked very critically at the Interstate based on my experience with a new Safari 25 FB and found it wanting. Perhaps that's not fair, but it's my opinion that Thor is trading on an iconic name with perceived value that just isn't there any more.

Our 30' Excella is now 13 years old, our 2003 Dodge/Cummins is 11 years old.
I've made changes and improvements to both of them that fit the way we use them. For us, that's a big part of our enjoyment, as we have a TV and Airstream that is as unique as we are.
We do most of the work ourselves, it's a great hobby and we meet a lot of interesting people.

Monday, we will be leaving on a 2 month adventure that will include a month our more in West Virginia..... hope to see some of you there!

In response to the older tow vehicle, my 2008 Dodge with 6.7 Cummins is now properly broken in with 73,000 miles. To upgrade would mean less mpg, DEF, the addition of air springs, all the interior up fits for the huge amount of electronics I like to have on board, the bed accessories such as custom generator mount, and the setup for towing. I am planning on sticking with what I have for the next 60 or 70,0000 miles, then if I am able, " upgrade" to a "new" hopefully much more efficient diesel or hybrid tow vehicle.
The one change which might be coming in tow vehicles would be a regenerative braking which uses the electric drive motors to produce electricity by switching to generators when brakes are applied.